Known containers of tin plate or nonferrous sheet metal, of glass or also of ceramic are being increasingly displaced by plastic containers. In the meantime, plastic containers are used for the packaging of fluid substances, for example of beverages, household products, care products, cosmetics, etc. The low weight and lower costs can play a substantial role in the consideration of using a plastic container. The use of recyclable plastic materials and the altogether more favorable total energy balance in their manufacture can also contribute to promoting the acceptance of plastic containers, such as plastic bottles, among consumers.
The production of plastic containers, such as plastic bottles, for example from polyethylene or polypropylene, often takes place in an extrusion blow molding method, such as a method of extrusion of blown tubing. Here single-layer or multi-layer plastic tubing is extruded with an extrusion head, placed in the mold cavity of a blow molding tool and is inflated by a blowing medium, for example air, which has been delivered into the blow mold with overpressure, according to the mold cavity. Afterwards the inflated plastic container can be cooled and removed from the mold.
The extrusion blow molding method allows the production of plastic containers, such as plastic bottles, with the most varied forms. In the manner apportioning bottles can be produced which have a plastic container with an ascending tube molded thereon. The ascending tube runs along one outside wall of the container. In the bottom region, the ascending tube discharges into the interior of the container and extends from the bottom of the container to an apportioning chamber which is made integrally with the container. The ascending tubes of these apportioning bottles have a comparatively large diameter and are not a difficulty in production.
Spray bottles which are sufficiently known from the prior art also have a container which can be produced in an extrusion blow molding method. A separately produced spray head which is placed (e.g., screwed) on the container neck, is equipped with a spray nozzle. The spray nozzle is connected to a thin ascending tube which is mounted on the spray head and which extends into the interior of the container as far as its bottom. The ascending tube is likewise a separate part which is connected to the spray head in a separate mounting step. The ascending tube can have a greater length than corresponds to the height of the container in order to enable emptying of the container. In practice, a spray bottle can often not be completely emptied in spite of the ascending tube which extends to the bottom, and depending on the location of the inlet opening of the ascending tube on the bottom of the container, the spray bottle should be held in a quite certain position with increasing emptying. It has therefore also been suggested that the container of a spray bottle depending on the configuration of apportioning bottles be provided with an ascending tube which runs along an outside wall of the container. The apportioning head is then mounted on the container neck such that a connection forms between the apportioning nozzle and the ascending tube. The ascending tube is formed integrally with the plastic container in the extrusion blow molding method. The inner cross section of the ascending tube at its narrowest point is roughly 3 mm 2-5 mm2 and should not exceed roughly 20 mm2. For later reliable operation of the spray bottle the ascending tube of the plastic container should not be less than the minimum internal cross section. On the other hand, the internal cross section of the ascending tube should not be too large since this can likewise influence the later operation of the spray bottle.